The Travelin ManBB, on a more relevant topic, I think that both you and Johnny got your "Best Overall Meal" category wrong. Your second visit to Stroud's was much better than your first visit to Stroud's.

That's interesting. What was different on the second visit that made the first visit more enjoyable. Couldn't be the food, because we ordered the exact same thing. Hmmmmm.....

Actually, it doesn't really matter who started it. The both of you seem to care less about showing a complete lack of respect for someone else's hard work - just so long as it doesn't interfere with your opportunity to bicker with one another.

Do either of you have any idea how long it takes Cliff (or anyone else) to compile a trip report of this length? Between photo editing and uploading, writing the content, fact-checking, looking up the web pages to include for the hyperlinks? It could be a full-time job. Then, you guys decide that the most important thing to discuss is the definition of patriotism?

Gee....I wonder why post counts have tailed off.

Pot-Kettle.

How long do you think it took Carolina Bob & Ellen to do their trip reports beforeYOUderailed them?

Sorry BB.

We do have issues with a lot of past history on this board. I'm sorry that too many of us are fighting battles that have been over for a long time or even innocently, bringing up political issues. Cliff and Dale's threads are the best things on our website's discussion portion and i want to do everything i can to encourage them to keep them coming.

BB...and...Cousin Johnny, I've really enjoyed this trip report! I always learn something from you guys and the food photos are drool-worthy! Stroud's should print out your rating in big letters and print it on their menus! Teresa

Soooooo hungry now!! Thanks again for another top drawer report, Cliff and Johnny. I hope to make it to LC's one day and I love the way you fashioned your trips to Stroud's into some most tasty looking book ends!

I'd buy a book of your highly entertaining trip reports, buffetbuster. They're the perfect combo of tourism and deliciousness.

I made a blackberry cobbler the other night, but that blackberry cream pie made me swoon. I gotta figure out how to make that!

I thought the same thing about blackberry cream..never heard of it, but it sounded great. I've made a couple rhubarb cream pies; thinking I could modify that recipe. I haven't had a chance to google it yet, but I bet there''s something out there....

In your latest postings, I was especially interested in your review of the WW I museum. I am fascinated with WW I (my grandfather died in the flu epidemic), and have visited a number of exhibits about the war in museums in the United Kingdom, where it really gets a lot of attention. The National Army Museum in London had a heart-breaking exhibit on animals in war, tied to the "War Horse" book, play and film, when we were there last December.

I will make it a point to go to the WW I museum when I am next in Kansas City.

BB, thank you for another wonderful trip report. When I'm down or just happy, I look for your reports to make my day. Also, they make me hungry. I know this question, has probably been asked before, how much weight to you gain on these trips? Sorry if that is deemed rude.

Okay, so just a quick little bit of history in regard to the poppy since nothing I've seen here quite explains it. As well the tradition here in the Great White North and other trivial details.

Poppies are quite common in the Flanders region (Belgium/France). They have seeds that can lay dormant in the ground until disturbed. When graves were dug for the soldiers KIA in Flanders the newly dug graves disturbed these seeds and, without other intervention (ie planting) they started to sprout from the ground. McCrae sat looking out (and lamenting the loss of a friend) on these newly sprouted flowers and wrote the poem.

In Canada we sell fake poppies from the end of October til "Armistice Day" which we call "Rememberance Day." Proceeds go to help veterans. They are worn on the lapel (As seen in this picture http://en.wikipedia.org/w...morial_Ottawa_2010.jpg )and although seldom practiced, the guideline is, you pay respects at 11am on 11/11 at a memorial after which you leave your poppy there. With work and school (etc.) it can be difficult. There is a moment of silence at 11am that's "Broadcast" over the air to those who can't make it to a memorial. So go so far as to pull their cars over and stop. In schools an assembly is held in the morning and at 11 a moment of silence.

The Montreal Canadiens have this passage on the wall in their locker room "To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high."

Here in Ontario veterans can get special Vet license plates which feature the poppy. Only vets can obtain these plates.

Davwud: I am usually in Canada around Remembrance Day for a media law conference. I've always been moved when everyone stops for the minute of silence at 11 a.m. I buy at least one "poppy," and usually hang on to it so I can wear it on my journey to Canada as well as while I am there. I've had the same experience in England.

The tradition here (at least when I was growing up) was to wear poppies on Memorial Day (May 30), not November 11 (Veterans' Day). When I was younger the American Legion sold artificial poppies made by disabled vets. At one time, they were made out of paper, with individual petals and everything. I remember an American Legion volunteer telling me that some of the vets were so emotionally affected by their disabilities that they twisted the petals too tight and they had to re-done by volunteers. Then the poppies were made out of plastic -- a single red plastic flower with a green stem (made out of plastic-covered wire) put through it -- just two pieces.

Hey guys, what a wonderful trip report. I am so envious. I go back through it every chance I get when I can't decide what I want for lunch. I'm surrounded by burger joints, sandwhich joints and lots of barbeque joints. Unfortunately there is an absence of any good fried chicken places in reach and I steadfastly refuse to eat the chain crap. You should put that in a book.

Jack's North Hi Carryout, a wonderful little, old fashioned hamburger stand, is up for sale again. The young owner has decided to go back to school. This place has gone through several owners in the last few years, which makes you wonder about the viability of the place. Cousin Johnny and I had an excellent visit on page one of this trip report.

My girlfriend and I spent the Labor Day weekend in Kansas and Oklahoma, covering much of the same territory that Cousin Johnny and I did in this trip report. No sense in rehashing the places already written about here, but we tried some new ones that are worth mentioning.

Last Friday afternoon, we were going through security at the Oklahoma State Capitol Building. Immediately after passing through the metal detector, the security guard, who had already been joking around with us, asked if I was buffetbuster. This caught me completely off guard, because there is no way this security guard should know my Roadfood screenname. After I hesitated, he asked again if I was buffetbuster. I finally answered yes and asked him why. He pointed to a guy on the other side of the screening area and said that guy just called you buffetbuster. Mariton recognized the man immediately, but I did not. You know how sometimes you don't recognize something familiar because it is in a different context? That's what happened here. As we were walking towards each other, I finally recognized him as Lee, a really nice man who has attended the last two Roadfood bus tours.

Lee works here as a proofreader and we chatted for a few minutes before it was time for us to join the 3:00PM tour of the building. But, we did make dinner plans and met Lee and his traveling companion Barbara at Cattlemen's in the famous OKC Stockyards. Barbara had also been on the last two bus tours and it was wonderful to see these nice people again. Through the bus tours, we have made quite a few friends who are dedicated Roadfooders, who just don't post in the forums.

Dinner was a 2+ hour affair, with plenty of great conversation. Mariton and I got steaks (her a filet, me a T-bone), while the locals got chicken fried steak. Having never tried it before, Mariton was looking forward to the lamb fries, which are sliced thin and breaded. These are tender and easy to eat, as long as you don't think too much about what they are.

A week later, I am still shocked that we somehow managed to run into each other in a city the size of Oklahoma City. Thanks again to Lee and Barbara for the great company!